Tag Archives: Hal Steinbrenner

It began last season, although we didn’t realize just what was beginning, when A.J. Burnett demanded his own personal catcher, saying he couldn’t work with 15-year veteran Jorge Posada. At the end of the season, we were told Jorge wouldn’t be catching at all in 2011 but would be in the lineup as DH. Alarming as this was, we still didn’t get what was happening. It is only now, after Posada’s been benched, apparently forever, that it’s become eminently clear: the Yankee super structure is trying to get rid of him. Is this any way to treat a player who’s been with the organization 15 years, one of the “Core Four” who played together longer than any other teammates in any sport, a catcher who’s run the games, the locker room and the team almost as much as the Captain? You bet your ass it isn’t!

The general public became aware something strange was brewing a few months ago, when Jorge pulled himself from the lineup rather than bat ninth, which must’ve felt like the ultimate humiliation — plus who knows what preceded that move byJoe Girardi? Suddenly the media was all over the story of Posada v. Yankees. Everyone had something to say, my favorite comment, as I wrote, being the one made by Red Sox DH David Ortiz, which was, in part, “You’re going to tell me that Posada can’t catch a game out there? Come on, man…that is a good hitter. I don’t care what anybody says.”

Since then, Posada’s been making a huge effort to contribute to the team, but, unfortunately, his efforts haven’t borne much fruit: in 90 games this season, he’s hitting .230, as compared to his career .273 mark. A few days ago manager Joe Girardi informed Posada he is no longer the DH player. From now on, it’s likely that Eric Chavez will be DH against right-handed pitchers, and Andruw Jones against lefties. Chavez, himself a veteran, feels awkward being in this position: “I’m not trying to replace anyone or anything like that,” he said. “I’ll just do whatever they need me to do.”

No doubt it’s withdrawal from catching that’s to blame for Posada’s poor performance…but people like Joe Girardi, Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner don’t give a shit about reasons, they care about one thing only: WINning. (Actually, they care only for money, but in baseball it amounts to the same thing.)

Even if it is time for Posada to leave, the Yankees could and should be doing it in a much classier way, instead of behaving even worse than they did when Joe Torre got the boot. Their biggest rival, the Red Sox, treat their own a lot better: When Mike Lowell left them last year, he was celebrated with Mike Lowell Day and other sentimental rituals.Jason Varitek, who’ll be leaving after this season, is still catching a few games, and serving as consultant to the newbies. I don’t recall any big ceremonies when the most recent long-time Yankees, Paul O’Neill and Tino Martinez, left, but at least they weren’t mistreated. Then again, BernieWilliams simply disappeared, with rumors buzzing.

They could have let Posada catch a few games this season; I don’t believe he’s suddenly incapable of it. Instead, he sits on the bench looking miserable. My heart breaks for him–and so do many others. Here are a few comments from around the Internet.

From ESPN Online by Stephen A. Smith : Humiliated but not humbled, the veteran should take the high road — unlike the Yankees…Now it’s up to Posada to remind them of how it should be done.It’s up to Posada to point out all the maneuvers that have been used against him and to elocute the classless way this organization has acted toward him at times. It’s up to Posada, the catcher with 270 career homers and a lifetime .273 batting average, to remind the Yankees that he wasn’t just a spectator during those four World Series championships.

From the Wall Street Journal by Daniel Barbarisi: It is the lowest moment in a humbling season for the 39-year-old Posada, as he was stripped of his catcher’s job, then removed as DH against left-handed pitchers, and now, finally, taken out of the starting lineup completely.

From Mass. Live.com, by Ron Chimelis: Red Sox fans should take no delight in the sad farewell of Jorge Posada…Joe Girardi has said he knew he might be in charge when the day came that the team’s resident icons would hit the wall erected by Father Time. For Posada, it has come with a vengeance. His last two months will be spent on the bench, and no matter what anyone says, a player cannot lead a team from there. This is significant, because for as much leadership as Derek Jeter has given the Yankees, Posada has been at least as much his team’s heart and soul, and maybe more.The Yankees will go on, but they are losing something of value. So are those of us who love baseball and the men who represent it well, no matter what uniform they wear.

Saying goodbye is never easy, and some people are worse at it than others. Still, there’s no excuse for what the Yankees are doing. Right now I’m watching them bury the Anaheim Angels, but I’m less than jubilant. Every so often the camera zeroes in on Posada, sitting alone on the bench with his teammates out in the field, his face wearing an expression of defeat. I hope, as one writer above suggested, he decides to walk away before they do any worse to him.

Jorge Posada is my favorite ball player. I’m not so sure I’ll remain a Yankee fan once he’s gone, if how I feel watching this game is any indication. I’ll have to kiss my hometown boys goodbye, and take the last leap West: after 23 years in the Bay Area I’ll finally become a Giants fan.